'Inside' men resurrect Pinhead

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Following the recent success of the "Halloween" remake, Dimension is moving ahead on reinventing "Hellraiser," setting Julien Maury and Alexandre Bustillo to write and direct the remake of one of horrormeister's Clive Barker's best-known creations.

Released in 1987, "Hellraiser" told the story of an unfaithful wife who attempts to assist her dead lover in his escape from hell. The movie introduced viewers to a race of demons called Cenobites, most notably one nicknamed Pinhead -- who became one of the most enduring horror characters of the decade -- who was summoned using an antique puzzle box.

Based on Barker's critically acclaimed novella "The Hellbound Heart," "Hellraiser" was written and directed by Barker and spawned a lucrative film franchise.

Dimension is aiming to make the movie pre-strike.

Senior vp production Matthew Stein will oversee the project on behalf of Dimension.

French filmmakers Maury and Bustillo come to the project off the strength of their supernatural thriller "Inside," about a pregnant woman who loses her boyfriend in a car crash and subsequently is violently haunted by a mysterious woman. The Weinstein Co./Dimension picked up the distribution rights to their film debut this year.

The filmmakers said they had the blessing of Barker to reappropriate his story and also had a playful message to any horror fans that were ready to trash the idea of a remake, "No tears, please; it's a waste of good remaking!"